Apple iPad 2 FaceTime Demonstration

Made popular by the iPhone 4 from this summer, FaceTime is finally here with the iPad 2 thanks to the addition of cameras that now grace the tablet’s exterior. Without much hesitation, we quickly got situated with Apple’s fancy video calling service that still requires you to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot in order to place a FaceTime call. Although that is seen by some people to be its sole limitation, it’s easily overlooked once you begin to use it more frequently and realize its tolerable usefulness over other competing services out there.

On the homescreen of the iPad 2, there is a FaceTime icon that you can tap on to launch the 2 paneled interface that has your preview window on one side, and your call list on the other. Specifically, the call list panel enables you to quickly check out your contacts, view your most recent calling activities, and access your favorite contacts for quick video calling.

Using an iPhone 4 for our demonstration, we connected both devices to the same Wi-Fi network and initiated the call starting on the iPhone 4 via an email address – since there is no phone number attached to our iPad 2 unit. Soon afterwards, a screen pops up on the iPad 2 showing the incoming call, and of course, we quickly began video chatting.

In terms of quality, the video being displayed on both devices are rather pixelated, but since the iPad 2 has the larger display between the two, it’s blatantly more noticeable on it. Nevertheless, we’re content with the responsive look of FaceTime since it picks up even the slightest of movements without that much evidence of slowdown or lag. Moreover, voices have a good distinctive tone to them, which of course is essential for any video chat service, but its combined performance manages to make the service a preferable choice over others. In the end, FaceTime on the iPad 2 bridges yet another product medium into the mix – though, we’d like to see them step it up a notch by supporting FaceTime via 3G.

3.stayfly24 (unregistered)

nope, skype calls dont work for video. Google already has google talk, in which you can do video calling. I like apple and google, but facetime is only available to people who have an iphone 4, ipad, or ipod touch. With Google talk videochat you can use it with people on their PCs when they log into google talk so you have more people to chat with....

Want to know why Apple requires a Wi-Fi hotspot to use FaceTime? Because the latency of AT&T and VZW's 3G connections suck big time. I was at the Stanford Mall in Palo Alto area and I was checking out the 3G connection on my 3G iPad 1 along with the 3G connection on my Droid X. On multiple checks about 15 - 20 minutes apart, the latency was as bad as 1291 ms (aka 1.291 seconds) on both AT&T and VZW 3G service. Can you imagine trying to have a conversation with any video chat application and having to wait 1 second before the transmissions even start?

7.ukgurl (unregistered)

well i hate that apple in them facetime commercials make it look like video chattin was the greatest coolest thing to ever happen to mankind. Its like for reals are they serious? When i saw the first facetime commercial i was all like wtf? Over here in the uk and the rest of the world except america has had video calling on there mobile phones from nokia, Lg, samsung ,etc since like 2005,2006ish i forgot cuz we had it for so many years.i heard that in the us they saw video calling on there phones for the first time tru sprint in 2009? Correct me if im wrong? Over here in the uk nobody ever really uses there phones for video chats also everyone i kno i have asked them if they like the apple facetime commercials and they all said no cuz we had video callin for a long time one of the gurls i work wit even said it might be new for people in america but not for us..

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